The Apple Watch is an impressive piece of technology. However, there are several reasons you would want to unpair your device. Perhaps you have a new smartwatch and want to sell or trade in your old one.
Whatever your reason, unpairing your device not too difficult. Here is how to unpair Apple Watch without losing your data.
Why You Need to Unpair Apple Watch
If you are looking for how to unpair an Apple Watch, it’s likely that you are experiencing one of the following scenarios:
- Apple Watch is not working properly and simple fixes like restarting, force restarting, closing apps, or updating watchOS do not help.
- Give your Apple Watch to someone else or sell it.
- Forgot the Apple Watch passcode and need to set it up again, create a new one.
- Apple Watch is stuck on the Apple logo or syncing screen, and nothing else works.
- Apple Watch is lost and unlikely to be found, you may want to erase it remotely to protect your information.
How to Unpair Apple Watch from iPhone?
Unpairing your Apple Watch removes its connection to your iPhone and resets it to factory defaults.
Before unpairing, make sure you place an Apple Watch next to an iPhone. Then, open the Apple Watch on your smartphone and follow the instructions below:
- Step 1: Go to the My Watch section and tap All Watches.
- Step 2: Tap the info button (i) next to the watch you want to remove.
- Step 3: Select Unpair Apple Watch, then tap Unpair [your watch name] to confirm.
- Step 4: If you have a GPS + Cellular model, choose whether to keep or remove your cellular plan. Keep it if you plan to pair the watch again, or remove it if you are selling or giving it away.
- Step 5: Enter your Apple Account password to turn off Activation Lock.
- Step 6: Tap Unpair and wait for the process to finish.
Now, you have successfully completed the unpairing request. Your iPhone will build a new backup of the Apple Watch, which may take some time.
Once completed, your Apple Watch has been unpaired and deleted, and it is now available to be connected and set up with any iPhone.
How to Unpair Apple Watch Without Phone?
Do you know that you can easily unpair your smartwatch without a phone? Below are 2 effective methods.
Unpair Remotely Using iCloud
Follow these steps on how to unpair Apple Watch remotely using iCloud before passing it over to someone else, or if it was stolen or lost.
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You can also do this through iCloud.com in a browser, including on a Windows PC.
- Tap Devices and select your Apple Watch from the list.
- Scroll down and tap Erase This Device.
- Tap Continue, and if you want, enter a phone number that can appear on the watch screen after it is erased so someone can contact you if they find it.
- Tap Erase to finish.
Reset Directly
If the aforementioned ways didn’t work, you can reset directly from the watch as the last resort.
- Open Settings > General > Reset.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your passcode if your device asks for it.
- If you have a GPS + Cellular model, choose whether you want to keep or remove the cellular plan.
- Tap Erase All to confirm.
However, this process does not remove the Activation Lock. That is required if you intend to sell or give the watch away, as a new user cannot set up the watch while the Activation Lock is still active.
>>> Read more: How to Connect AirPods to iPhone: Setup to Works Instantly
How to Pair Your New Apple Watch?
Now you know how to unpair Apple Watch from old phone. It’s time to pair your new device. Just ensure your new watch and iPhone are within range of one another.
- Find the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap Set Up for Myself to begin the pairing process.
- Hold your Apple Watch up to your iPhone’s camera frame to start the connection.
- Wait for the confirmation screen to appear.
- Decide whether to Restore from Backup or Set Up as New Apple Watch.
- Wait for the screen to update after your selection.
- Review and accept the terms and conditions.
- Wait for the setup process to continue.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup of your Apple Watch.
FAQs
How do I unpair an already paired Apple Watch?
To unpair an Apple Watch, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and select My Watch. Next, choose All Watches, tap the info button, and then tap Unpair Apple Watch.
How do I pair my Apple Watch to my new phone without my old phone?
To pair your Apple smartwatch, you will need to erase the Apple Watch through the Find My app or the settings, then pair it with your new phone as if setting it up for the first time.
How do I delete the previous owner from my Apple Watch?
To remove the previous owner, you’ll need to unpair the Apple Watch from their iCloud account. This can be done by resetting the watch to factory settings and entering the previous owner’s iCloud credentials to remove Activation Lock.
Final Words
Knowing how to unpair Apple Watch is essential, whether you want to pair it with a new phone or upgrade to the latest model. If you skip a step, you risk losing your personalized settings or locking the device out completely for the future owner.
